EVALUATION OF SARS COVID -19 ANTIBODY STATUS OF INDIVIDUALS IN POST COVID OUT PATIENT DEPARTMENT OF TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL OF CENTRAL INDIA

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and it was rst identied after an outbreak of Pneumonia in Wuhan, China in December 2019. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped, positive-strand RNA virus. Several risk factors are associated with the complications of COVID-19. The Immune system produces IgM, IgG, and Neutralizing antibodies which can block the virus from entering cells. Long term humoral response post COVID-19 infection is still not clearly known. Studies related to complete course of IgG antibody in COVID-19 infection are very sparse. The present study was therefore conducted to evaluate SARS COVID-2 COVID-19 antibody status of individuals in post COVID-19 OPD in Central India's population at our tertiary care hospital. Material and methods: A prospective study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology of a tertiary health care centre for a period of one year from January 2021 to December 2022. The cases included in the study were individuals attending post COVID OPD and giving written informed consent for COVID-19 Antibody Test (IgG). Cases were studied in relation to their age, sex, relevant clinical history, relevant clinical comorbidities, status of COVID report with date. Blood samples from the study subjects were tested for the presence of IgG antibody. Results: IgG antibody is positive in maximum cases in 0-6 months, followed by 7-12 months, then in 13-18 months and then in 19-24 months. IgG antibody was not detected in cases where the time duration between positive COVID-19 test and IgG test was more than 18 months. Conclusion: Our study could be a very important footstep towards understanding the long term humoral response in COVID-19 infection